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Fibromyalgia and Sleep Meds..Help!

Posted , 5 users are following.

naomi402
naomi402

Hi Everyone!

I am in desperate need to find some help with sleep as I am sure everyone else is.  When I get some sleep like 5 hours in a row I seem to have much less symptoms.  5 hours straight doesnt sound like much but its better than broken sleep.  I am not getting many hours in a row if I do it is rare.

I am new to sleep meds and like most fibro people I dont have much of a tolerance for meds.  I have tried supplements as well as other alternative treatments and it is hit or miss at best.

I tried Ambien a few times but I didnt like the side effects. It also gave me a rapid heart rate.  Trazadone does the same thing.  I recently was put on 100mg of gabapentin at night and it helped 1 or 2 night but then it doesnt.  I have a prescription for Lunesta I havent tried.

Has anyone tried Lunesta and it worked?  What has worked for everyone else.  Side Note:  I have a low tolerance for medication

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • Magpie2me
    Magpie2me naomi402

    Posted

    Ok here goes. They seem to allow many medications to be mentioned by name on this site. So I will try. My Neurologist recommended Endep years ago for the pain in my arms that woke me during the night. He said that it is normally an antidepressant but that he prescribes it for pain such as carpal tunnel. I only took it for awhile but then when I noticed my insomnia getting worse, I tried a corner of a 10 mg pill some nights. I noticed that I slept pretty soundly and woke up more refreshed. I don't take meds as a rule except Ibuprofen when I have a migraine. That is why the corner of a pill works for me but for others, they could take a higher strength. Anyway, I have been using this when I suffer from insomnia. It works for me. We really need our sleep with FM. That is my coping method Naomi. Maggie xx

    • naomi402
      naomi402 Magpie2me

      Posted

      I have not tried it. I will have to ask about it. I started 100mgof gabapentin a.few nights ago per my rheumy request . it seemed to.help some. Last night..not so much
    • Magpie2me
      Magpie2me naomi402

      Posted

      Trial and error kind of thing I know. But Endep always seems to come through for me. You know when you just lie awake with stuff running through your head! This always seems to take that nervous edge off. I usually take it after dinner but away from if I have a glass of wine. I never mix meds with alcohol. Dangerous cocktail. Anyway sweetie, never hurts to give it a try. 
    • naomi402
      naomi402 Magpie2me

      Posted

      Is it similar to ametriptyline?  I didnt react well to that ....because I have such a low tolerance and it flared up my burning nerve pain.
    • Magpie2me
      Magpie2me naomi402

      Posted

      I couldn't say Naomi. I don't know very many meds. You could ask your doctor though. That would be the best solution. All I know is that this really works well for me. 

  • Meg53
    Meg53 naomi402

    Posted

    Poor you insomnia is such a curse and the specialists say the less sleep you get the more pain you get. I suffered from this problem until I was prescribed a low dose of Pregablin and a slow release Melatonin. Melatonin is actually a chemical our body is meant to produce so is a good safe thing to try. Different people respond to different drugs in different ways so it is a matter of finding a good Rheumatologist who can guide you. I still don't sleep perfectly but with a little gentle exercise each day, I can sleep between six to eight hours, usually with a comfort stop. I also find some form of relaxing mediation can help and its advantage is no side effects. Best of luck Meg

  • juliect45
    juliect45 naomi402

    Posted

    Hi

    I too have tried many diff things but for me the low dose of klonopin puts me to sleep and allows me to not feel so exhausted as long as someone doesn't come n disrupt my sleep. I take .5 but I cut in half I preferred this over amytriptiline because I didn't wanna feel sedated. I also knew the klonopin would be ok because my husband is a vet who suffers from PTSD and it really helped

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